


The Worst Winter

by Aellax



Series: Runaways Mythos AU [2]
Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-03 22:10:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17292359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aellax/pseuds/Aellax
Summary: After three months, Karolina wished that she had more to spend in the Underworld... and away from her mother.A continuation of a Hades and Persephone story for Deanoru from Karolina's perspective.





	The Worst Winter

**Author's Note:**

> So I started off intending to write a neat one-shot in this universe, but we're getting a little sequel instead.
> 
> Oops.

Three months slipped away far too fast for Karolina’s liking. She grew to love the kingdom of Hades for what it was, and warmed up to many of its denizens. Sometimes Karolina overheard their mumblings, concerned that the underworld would swallow up all that light sooner or later. She ignored the murmurs, and did her best to treat everyone warmly. They generally returned the favor most of the time.

Nico had been right; it did not take long for Tina to take to her. Too often for comfort, Karolina considered that being in the graces of the former Hades was simultaneously a burden and a boon. On one hand, she enjoyed not having to sneak around the kingdom trying to avoid the dreaded parents. On the other hand, Tina asked a lot of questions.

“What is the nature of your relationship with my daughter?” “And you’re certain that Leslie in no way manipulated this?” “Do you think that Nico wears too much black? I know it’s the underworld, but we’re usually more about muted tones than spilled ink down here.”

It was a lot sometimes.

And Nico got so busy. Karolina appreciated that her lover (that’s what they were now, right? …Right?) had taken some time off to visit her. Even taking up the majority of Nico’s free time made her starved for attention the rest of the time. She could only hope that Nico did not get annoyed with her.

Her mother so often had reminded Karolina that a giving heart and self-consciousness went hand in hand.

“I could stay for longer,” Karolina whispered one night. She half-hoped that Nico had already passed out.

Nico curled into Karolina’s side, and yawned. If goddesses could melt, she would have turned into a puddle from that noise long ago. “Your mom’d go to war over you, ‘nd you said that… that…” Nico yawned again, higher-pitch this time. “Fighting’s real bad.”

Fighting the strong impulse to test that inability to melt theory, Karolina rotated her upper body to kiss at wherever on Nico’s face that she could reach. This turned out to be her nose. Nico responded by bringing a hand up over her own nose and mouth in confusion before patting unsteadily at Karolina’s shoulder; the more awake of the two women considered that Nico could not reach anywhere else more easily.

“I don’t like fighting,” Karolina agreed. “I just… have so many ideas about improving little corners of your kingdom. And I’ve never been able to… Uhm…” She swallowed hard.

“Go on,” sighed a still-sleepy Nico.

“It’s silly, I’m so sorry,” Karolina said, biting at her lower lip with more force than she had intended. “Even if your mom is a perfectionist, she doesn’t have a role pinned on me. I can just be, and you’re there, and I get to have ideas, and let’s just go back to sleep.”

The silence probably only lasted a few seconds, but Karolina worried that the quiver in her left hand was going to intensify enough to spread through her whole body. While this was a ridiculous notions, she struggled to take a step back from the situation.

Finally, after the silence of imperceptible length, Nico reached a hand out to pat at Karolina’s cheek. “Paperwork told me that you gotta come back next year. And… and… hm… Something something letters.”

Karolina was not sure what that was supposed to mean. “Something?”

“Can write letters,” Nico mumbled into Karolina’s shoulder. “Love letters? Maybe love letters. Bedtime now.”

Karolina found Nico’s sleepy reassurances endearing, but the worry would not just go away. She worried for a reason, and that reason could only be Demeter.

–

“You have to let go sometime,” Karolina said, nodding down at the clasped hands.

Nico wrinkled her nose and pretended to mull the idea over. “Technically I don’t have to. I just should so that I don’t start TWII.” 

Rolling her eyes and grinning, Karolina replied, “I don’t think it would be quite as bad as the Trojan War, but we both know it won’t be pretty. Anyway, you know you can visit me, right?”

“And I will. Write me when you find out some times of year that are free.”

While Karolina had thought that the farewells were going to be private, The exclusion of visitors did not appear to extend to Nico’s mother. With a knowing sort of smile on her face (which Karolina interpreted to be Tina’s default expression), the older woman produced some paperwork. Karolina would never voice this aloud, but she was pretty sure that paperwork was the main reason that the underworld came across as so dreary.

“Read these once you’ve returned safely to Demeter, Karolina,” Tina said, foisting the pages into Karolina’s hands.

“What are th-”

“They’re for later,” insisted Tina.

Nico leaned over, and intercepted the pages. Karolina watched her flip through the stack of paper. “Mom, why are you sending Karolina back with marriage contr-?” Nico cut herself off, and fixed her mom with a searching look.

“I thought you should have some time to look over the paperwork before the wedding.”

Karolina was noticeably uncomfortable. She wanted to give Nico a kiss or a hug or something before leaving, but she also wanted out of this situation. Without taking too much time to think about it, she grabbed the paperwork from Nico, shook her hand (which was probably the worst possible gesture), shouted, “I’ll write you!” and then dashed off before anyone could comment.

Her nerves were through the roof on the way home, and realized that she was in for nine months with her mom having to explain herself.

“Ohhhh no, oh no oh no oh no.” 

And it was like that all the way home unceasingly.

“Oh no,” Karolina sighed when her mother greeted her with the ‘disappointed smile.’ Whenever that expression made itself known, Karolina knew that any lingering happiness would dissipate immediately.

“Karolina, welcome home,” her mother said, arms wide open.

As her mother expected, Karolina walked forward until she was close enough to hug her. “Hi, mom,” she mumbled into a bony shoulder.

“I’ve heard from Tina that you had a little problem down in the Underworld. I’m glad that all of that is behind us, and we can get back to work for the growing season,” Leslie said evenly.

Karolina pulled herself out of the hug, and nodded in anticipation of a nasty reprimand or backhanded compliment. “I missed you.”

“That’s good. It has been three months, after all. Luckily, we don’t have to have anything to do with any of those Underworld eccentrics until the next meeting.”

Karolina bristled. While this was not a direct insult, she knew her mom meant for it to be. “Actually, well, I guess Nico’s mom didn’t tell you…” The paperwork in her hand felt like it was burning. Figuratively, of course, but she had very mixed feelings about what she held in her hand. 

The lack of explanation seemed to trigger an even more disconcerting smile. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”

“I accidentally ate some Underworld food, and now I have to stay there three months out of every year,” Karolina explained in a voice half an octave higher than usual.

Karolina could see the anger in her mom’s face, and it was truly terrifying to behold. Anybody that thought Demeter was some wishy-washy nature goddess needed to pause and ready themselves for a rude awakening.

“There has to be something that we can do about this.”

“I’m sorry, but Hades kingdom is steeped in regulations. There’s not really anything that we can do about it. I’m never really busy in the winter anyway,” Karolina replied. She did not know why she neglected to say that she was counting down the days and seriously considering completing the paperwork in her hand, but there were still nine months to get to that point.

Leslie tapped her lip, considering this. “That’s true. Vaughn will show you the new renovations that we’ve made to the grounds since you were last year. We shall talk at dinner.”

The centaur Vaughn clopped into the room. He nodded deeply at the princess, and showed her out. Karolina thought that he was a little odd, but not at all threatening.

“The domain hasn’t been the same without you, Persephone,” Vaughn said once they were well away from the queen.

Karolina shrugged. “It was winter, though. I don’t do so much.”

“The worst winter within anyone’s memory,” Vaughn clarified. “Your mother the queen agrees it best to have you here all year ‘round.”

“It’s the winter for a reason. The ground needs to rest, and so do the farmers,” Karolina countered, starting to feel very guilty.

“Yes, but it’s best when you’re here. For morale.”

Karolina wanted to argue further, but decided that it was not worth the strain on her guilty conscience. She changed the subject, and allowed Vaughn to give her the promised tour. None of the renovations were objectionable, but they were not particularly thrilling or useful either. There was so much she would have tried to make better had she been around.

She was conflicted when she returned to her chambers after a long day of playing the perfect daughter returned back home from the cruel kingdom of Hades. So many opportunities in conversation came up for her to defend Nico and the way things were done down below, but Karolina had not seized them. Anxious, she spread the contract paperwork in front of her. She wanted to complete her part so badly, but it had been such a long day.

And she did have nine months, didn’t she…?

Karolina slid the papers that Tina had given her to a far back corner of the desk, and took a deep breath. After finding her composure, she took some blank sheets of paper, and set to writing immediately.

“Love letters,” Karolina mumbled to herself. “I can start with those.”

**Author's Note:**

> I can't promise anything, but I may get to some one-shots focused on other corners of this universe at some point. This may be because I did more world-building that I couldn't logically fit into such a Deanoru-focused story without it potentially being too shoe-horned in.


End file.
